Printed-cover / missing DJ (which would have same art...) Extra stamps on left endpaper, title page. Good paper (very white) - so there is no age tanning. Very tight and square.

[The flap-copy from a hardcover]: "Inside the great golden walls, under the crystal of the huge dome, the air was heavy and damp. The streets were crowded with strange, pyramid-shaped buildings. It had been a long journey for thirteen-year-old Will - from the secret hideout in the White Mountains, the final refuge for the small group who were the only free men in the world. And now the most dangerous part of the adventure had begun: Will and his friend Fritz were inside the fearsome City of the Tripods. Their mission: Find out about these creatures who control men's minds. How do they operate, what is their Plan for the world they rule? And what chance have free men to overthrow them? Against the constant threat of discovery and death, the boys begin to find some of the answers..."

[the back cover copy from a paperback edition]: "Will, Beanpole, and Henry have managed to escape the Tripods. But instead of living in safety, in the small Swiss community of free people, they have chosen to embark upon a mission that may yet again cost them their lives. Each year, a series of Games is held in Germany. Those who win the competitions win the honor to serve the Tripods. Those who are Capped consider this the highest honor. And those who are free know that it is an ideal opportunity to infiltrate the City - and, perhaps, free the world."

John Christopher (pseudonym of Christopher Samuel Youd), is best known for his juveniles. I first encountered this trilogy when I was in my teens, and remember liking them.